Mavs are back to playing meaningful games after New Year's Day, but can they solve their huge road problems?

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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts to a dunk by a teammate in front of Dallas Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes (40) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Monday, Dec. 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

CHARLOTTE -- Harrison Barnes has learned a lot from Dirk Nowitzki in three seasons with the Mavericks, including the art of analysis.

After he tried to give the Mavericks a fighting chance Monday in their eventual blowout loss at Oklahoma City with 25 points, including 14 in a red-hot third quarter, Barnes said that the team is "teetering on the fence."

In other words, this season still could go either way.

The Mavericks have put themselves in position to play meaningful games after New Year's Day, something that could not be said for the last two seasons.

On Jan. 1 last season, they were 13-25 and made the decision to go into serious tanking mode.

Two calendars ago, they were 10-24.

Now, at 17-19, they aren't great. But they aren't terrible, either.

And it comes down to whether they can solve their admittedly supersized problems on the road.

At 2-16, they are the worst road team in the NBA. Even 8-29 Cleveland has three road victories.

And that has Barnes baffled. And irritated.

"How do we get wins on the road?" he said. "We're holding up our end of the deal at home. But on the road, we're not doing our part.

"If we're just a .500 road team, we'd be solidly in the playoffs."

Informed that playing .500 on the road usually is very difficult and typically makes you much more than just a playoff team, Barnes adjusted.

"OK, let's say we have six road wins, just four more," he said. "We'd be seventh or somewhere near that. And six road wins is not a great road record. But ours is atrocious."

Actually, if the Mavericks were 6-12 on the road instead of 2-16, they would have woken up on New Year's Day tied for fourth in the Western Conference at 21-15.

To put it in simplest terms, they have been beyond bad on the road this season.

They went 0-for-December on the road. Their last victory away from American Airlines Center was Nov. 28 in Houston.

That also, by the way, was the last time this team shot 50 percent or better from the field.

"It's something we got to fix and find a way to get some wins on the road," J.J. Barea said.

The difference in the Mavericks on the road and at home is ridiculous, and that's just going by the numbers.

The eye test is worse.

But first, the numbers: They are shooting 44.2 percent on the road, compared with 47.1 percent at home. They are averaging nearly six fewer points at home. They are giving up nine more points per game on the road than at home.

That's how you get to 2-16.

As for that eye test. This team just looks different on the road. When things get sticky, the resolve isn't always there. Until that changes, the Mavericks will continue to teeter on the fence.

New focus: After making the rebounding game their primary emphasis for the last couple of weeks of 2018, the Mavericks will start 2019 trying to hold turnovers down.

That's not surprising after having a season-worst 29 turnovers against Oklahoma City on Monday, giving the Mavericks 69 turnovers in the final three games of 2018.

"Everything's got to be about taking care of the ball for the next couple games," Barea said. "If you turn the ball over like that, you're never going to beat guys."

The Mavericks have been a historically low turnover team under Rick Carlisle, but clearly the young backcourt and developing chemistry between the starters is working against them.

Meanwhile, here's what Thunder guard Russell Westbrook had to say about the 29 turnovers OKC got:

"We lean on our defense. Regardless of what happens, teams are going to make shots. The way the game is played now, a lot of threes go up. Some may go in. But we got to do other things, get deflections and guard the passing lanes. Once we get on the break, it's beneficial to us."

The Thunder also had a 26-12 advantage in fast-break points in addition to their massive 36-5 lead in points off turnovers.